AusBonsai

This is another Pheonix graft that will be allowed to grow on to thicken the lower branches for the jins . The 3 young nursery stock plants were pre trained but not for this project .A basic wiring was done last year to place some movement into them . Another pine tap root was used for the base of the and treated the same as the previous post .Using younger stock save time as they are far easier to manipulate All in all i'm happy with this trainer

This will hopefully be the finished design.Cheers Alpineart

This has had a work over after 8 months of being wired the branches have set with plenty of movement .With the alluminium wire removed it has had a trim and re-shape of the foliage .The lower section will still be used as jins, basically used as sacrifice branches now in order to fill the trunk out .With the foliage just beginning to shoot off it will now be focused on the 2 apexes .Rewired with coated copper and fine copper wire for the side shoots it can now grow on for another season .Slowly taking shape as most junipers do .

Cheers Alpineart

Looking good Ian - do you need to treat the pine root or is it hardy enough on it's own ?

Tony

Hi Ian

Did you strip one side of the Juni for the graft and did you use grafting wax???

Hi Bougy , i hit it with lime sulphur but thats it and only to lighten the grey colour of the decayed wood and conceal the hazel colour of the resin veins .Mother nature and all her critters destroyed all but the resinous parts of the roots over a 20-30 year period so i guess it will be good for another 20 years . when carving it actually melts or smokes at a certain point and clogs the cutters . I have tried numerous hardwoods but the all attract fungus although none were lime sulphur treated

Cheers Alpine

Hi Velvetsicklid . i carve the trunk deep enough to embed the juniper into a groove so it is almost flush. When the trunk thickens it tightens to the point where it will gradually grow out and over .I have tried removing the bark but in most of the early cases it wasn't a success it produced more die back .

If the groove is snug enough ,in the first year of growth you will actually pull the live bark off the plant if you try to remove it .Its not just screwed onto a piece of deadwood .I have another where i grooved the trunk and fused all the apexes of the live plants together , this too cant be removed now without damaging the fused tops or the embedded trunks . I do use stainless screws to hold certain areas that wont sit right

Cheers Alpine

alpineart wrote:Hi Velvetsicklid . i carve the trunk deep enough to embed the juniper into a groove so it is almost flush. When the trunk thickens it tightens to the point where it will gradually grow out and over .I have tried removing the bark but in most of the early cases it wasn't a success it produced more die back .

If the groove is snug enough ,in the first year of growth you will actually pull the live bark off the plant if you try to remove it .Its not just screwed onto a piece of deadwood .I have another where i grooved the trunk and fused all the apexes of the live plants together , this too cant be removed now without damaging the fused tops or the embedded trunks . I do use stainless screws to hold certain areas that wont sit right

Cheers Alpine

Ok thanks Alpine, does it take long for the tree to grow over the screw???

Hi Velvet , mate its like most things , depends on how well you do the job and how far you embed the screw .I prefer to screw them at least under the bark . Again its all about trial and error , i also prefer 4-6 gauge screws they sink in better and don't usually require a pilot hole whereas 8 gauge screws need pre drilling and tend to split when embedded ..With very thin material i groove the wood then use the head of the screw 1 either side of the thin trunk to hold it into the groove .This can be removed 1-2 years later after the trunk is firmly held by itself thickening .

Cheers Alpine

alpineart wrote:Hi Velvet , mate its like most things , depends on how well you do the job and how far you embed the screw .I prefer to screw them at least under the bark . Again its all about trial and error , i also prefer 4-6 gauge screws they sink in better and don't usually require a pilot hole whereas 8 gauge screws need pre drilling and tend to split when embedded ..With very thin material i groove the wood then use the head of the screw 1 either side of the thin trunk to hold it into the groove .This can be removed 1-2 years later after the trunk is firmly held by itself thickening .

Cheers Alpine

ok im worried that the squamata i want to use is too skinny in the trunk for it to be drilled.
Ill update you on my progress.

Cheers Drew

Thats a ripper Alpine, very inspiring work mate

Hi Siddhar , thanks mate its developing nicely , I slip potted both trainers yesterday into a mix of new and old blended scoria mixture for a more open draining blend .This and the other sister trees will all go into the green house and be power feed over the growing season . I need to add another tree to the rear to replace the lower dead trunk , it will still be used as jin material but has left the rear quite naked and empty .

Cheers Alpine